U.N. Recommends U.S. Pay Reparations to African Americans

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A United Nations report has found that the United States owes reparations to African Americans for slavery. The report argues that, following the end of slavery, the United States government has not done enough to make things right and help African Americans succeed. The obvious example of this is Jim Crow laws and the prevalence of lynching before (and during) the Civil Rights Movement.

But following that movement, there has been no serious discussion about how to help African Americans who have been unduly punished by these actions. The recent spate of police killings of unarmed black men that have marred the nation’s reputation and seriously harmed the national psyche are a perfect example: Even following the Civil Rights Movement, the United States has maintained a system which favors white people over people of color.

The report offers a number of ways in which the United State government can attempt to address the very real grievances of African Americans and help them to overcome the hurdles thrown in their way by white supremacy.

The United Nations report is not binding, and there is neither a requirement nor even an expectation that the United State government address the issues it raises.

While it seems unlikely that anything will directly come of this report, it is increasingly obvious to many people that white supremacy has not gone away. It is something that still must be dealt with, and discussions about how to deal with it are happening around the country.

The legal hurdles that much be addressed at a federal level in order to make progress on reparations are significant, and it seems like the easiest way to make any progress on such issues would have to begin with local government.